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Where does Oil come from?

Dabljuh

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So, where's oil (petroleum) come from? I was told that petroleum is basically massive quantities of organic materials, that somehow ended up 100's of miles beneath earth's surface, and there turning into the oily substance called petroleum. (Stone Oil)

That always seemed weird to me. I mean, I believe in a billions-of-years-old earth, I believe into plate tectonics and all that... And yes I may even believe that massive quantities of organic material *would* crack and turn into a nitrogen-rich carbon liquid, under certain circumstances.

But the amount of petroleum we're finding in earth's surface is simply way too much. Organic materials ending up 100's of miles beneath earth's surface? Wouldn't that energy-rich waste be consumed by microorganisms first? Wouldn't the mechanics of plate tectonics more or less scrape an organic layer off a sea plate so never any more than minute quantities ended up under the crust?

If you look out in space, you find massive quantities of carbohydrates and amino acids just floating around, having a good time. Isn't it far more likely that earth basically was created with a large amount of carbohydrates in it? Remember, free atmospheric oxygen is a relatively recent introduction in the history of our planet.

Basically I ran accross this Wikipedia-article a while back, and while it undoubtedly has deteroriated much like the entire rest of wikipedia, it may give you the basic idea.

Wikipedia Article

Now, scientifically, you can't make a testable statement about the past. What you can do however, is using the alternative theory of the abiogenic petroleum origin, to predict where oil diggers would find oil. That the theory didnt have that much success is my only problem with the theory so far, but doesn't mean much because the method by which oil is searched for is far too chaotic.
 
Organic matter primarily. And yes it can be miles under the earth, but not hundreds of miles. Deeper you go, more likely it will turn into gas instead of oil, due to the pressures.

And oil is inside of rocks, its not down there like a big pool or something.
 
I'd say that too, but for this discussion, rocks = silicates and limestone (which actually contains carbon, btw). But not the type of rock that fossils are found in.

And you find fossils in rocks too. So rocks are made from fossils too, not just coal? I don't think so.

Show me evidence of fossils in coal. Show me evidence of fossils being more likely in coal than in limestone. etc.
 
I grew up not too far away from a coal mining city (Ipswich, near Brisbane, Australia). I've lost count of the number of leaves pressed into coal kids would bring into the school I went to. It was almost boring (except we all dreamed of finding that one rock with a dinosaur in it...hehe).

I don't see the problem with believing that layers upon layers of deposited organic can form fossil fuels.

Athon
 
Dabljuh said:
I'd say that too, but for this discussion, rocks = silicates and limestone (which actually contains carbon, btw). But not the type of rock that fossils are found in.
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Erm...limestone is made the calcium bodies of dead things. Like coral and the shells of molluscs.

Did you ever do high school science?

And you find fossils in rocks too. So rocks are made from fossils too, not just coal? I don't think so.
Click to expand...

Huh? You're not making sense. What definitions for rocks are you using?

Define a 'rock' in your own words.

Show me evidence of fossils in coal. Show me evidence of fossils being more likely in coal than in limestone. etc.
Click to expand...


You're having a laugh. No, seriously, you can't be serious.

Athon
 
athon said:
Dabljuh said:
I'd say that too, but for this discussion, rocks = silicates and limestone (which actually contains carbon, btw). But not the type of rock that fossils are found in.
Click to expand...


Erm...limestone is made the calcium bodies of dead things. Like coral and the shells of molluscs.

Did you ever do high school science?
Click to expand...


In Kansas, perhaps...
 
Dabljuh said:
I'd say that too, but for this discussion, rocks = silicates and limestone (which actually contains carbon, btw). But not the type of rock that fossils are found in.
Click to expand...
Why make that distinction?

And you find fossils in rocks too. So rocks are made from fossils too, not just coal? I don't think so.

Show me evidence of fossils in coal.
Click to expand...

How hard did you look? How about this and this ?

Show me evidence of fossils being more likely in coal than in limestone. etc.
Click to expand...
Why do they need to be more likely in coal than limestone? Both coal and limestone are sedimentary rocks, primarily composed of dead organisms.

I do hope you're not living up to your sig.
 
I knew about *some* limestone being created biologically, without a doubt. But all?

Alright, I didn't know there's so many fossils in coal, but are there? Isn't it equally possible that the coal simply preserves fossils better than say, silicate? And what proof is that, that *all* coal, or *all* oil, for that matter has an organic origin?
 
Dabljuh said:
I knew about *some* limestone being created biologically, without a doubt. But all?
Click to expand...
So why did you attempt to categorize limestone as "not the type of rock that fossils are found in"?
Dabljuh said:
I'd say that too, but for this discussion, rocks = silicates and limestone (which actually contains carbon, btw). But not the type of rock that fossils are found in.
Click to expand...
 
Dabljuh said:
I knew about *some* limestone being created biologically, without a doubt. But all?

Alright, I didn't know there's so many fossils in coal, but are there? Isn't it equally possible that the coal simply preserves fossils better than say, silicate? And what proof is that, that *all* coal, or *all* oil, for that matter has an organic origin?
Click to expand...

What are the reasons to assume they don't have an organic origin?
 
Mojo said:
So why did you attempt to categorize limestone as "not the type of rock that fossils are found in"?
Click to expand...
Quite the opposite. I said coal isn't the type of rock where fossils are found in (where I have been proven somewhat wrong)
 
Dabljuh said:
Quite the opposite.
Click to expand...


So, saying "rocks = silicates and limestone (which actually contains carbon, btw). But not the type of rock that fossils are found in" is the opposite of categorizing limestone as "not the type of rock that fossils are found in"?

Riiight.
 
Deleted when I realised I was feeling a troll.

.
 
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